Mayor of Christchurch

The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor, Phil Mauger, was elected in the 2022 mayoral election. The current deputy mayor is Pauline Cotter.

Mayor of Christchurch
Coat of arms of the City of Christchurch
Incumbent
Phil Mauger
since 8 October 2022
StyleHis Worship
SeatChristchurch Civic Offices
Term lengthThree years
Inaugural holderWilliam Wilson
Formation1868
DeputyPauline Cotter
WebsiteOfficial Website

Christchurch was initially governed by the chairman of the town council. In 1868, the chairman became the city council's first mayor as determined by his fellow city councillors. Since 1875, the mayor is elected by eligible voters and, after an uncontested election, the first election was held in the following year.

History

Chairmen of the Town Council

Christchurch became a city by Royal charter on 31 July 1856; the first in New Zealand. Since 1862, chairmen were in charge of local government. Five chairmen presided in the initial years:[1]

Name Portrait Term
1 John Hall 1862–1863
2 John Ollivier 1863–1864
3 Isaac Luck 1865
4 Edward Bishop 1866
5 William Wilson 1867

Mayors of the City Council

The town council held a meeting on 10 June 1868 to elect its first mayor. In those days, councillors were elected for three-year terms, and once a year elected one of their group as mayor, i.e. the position was not elected at large (by the voting public) as is the case today.[2]

The following councillors attended the 10 June meeting: William Wilson, James Purvis Jameson, T. Tombs, George Ruddenklau, Henry Thomson, W. A. Sheppard, William Calvert[3] and John Anderson, who chaired the meeting. Thomson moved that Wilson be elected as the first mayor of Christchurch, and Tombs seconded the motion. The chairman put the motion to the meeting and it was carried unanimously. With the meeting, the council had brought itself under the Municipal Corporations Act 1867.[2][4]

Hence, the last chairman (William Wilson) became the first mayor in 1868. The first chairman (John Hall) became mayor 44 years later in 1906. There have been 46 holders of the position. The longest-serving was Sir Hamish Hay, who held the post for 15 years (5 terms). The shortest mayoralty was by Tommy Taylor in 1911, who died three months after being elected.[5] Wilson's term, at just over six months, was the second shortest. Vicki Buck and Lianne Dalziel, have been the only female mayors so far.

Initially, councillors elected one of their own as mayor towards the end of the year, and the role was usually awarded to the most senior councillor. Most elections were unanimous, and the newly elected mayor was instantly regarded as the head of the council. The system changed with the introduction of The Municipal Corporations Acts Amendment Act, 1875, as that legislation stipulated that mayors had to be elected at large (i.e. by eligible voters).[6][7] Fred Hobbs, the incumbent, was the only candidate nominated, so he was declared elected unopposed on 17 December 1875.[8] James Gapes was the first mayor elected at large on 20 December 1876.[9][10][11] The newly elected person was from that point the mayor-elect, until he was sworn in; Gapes was sworn in on 2 January 1877.[12] Despite this, Taylor's death in 1911 resulted in councillors electing their fellow councillor John Joseph Dougall as mayor as required by the legislation for such cases.[13]

Mayors were initially appointed and then elected for one year; elections started following the Municipal Corporations Act of 1876.[14] This was changed to biennial elections "on the last Wednesday in April" with the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1913. The act came into force in March 1915 and thus first applied at the April 1915 mayoral election.[15] The Municipal Corporations Act, 1933 changed the mayoral term to three years, and this commenced with the 1935 mayoral election.[16]

Five mayors have held non-consecutive terms:

Recent mayors

Four former mayors are alive:

List of mayors
Name Portrait Term
1 William Wilson 1868[4]
2 John Anderson 1868–1869[17]
3 Andrew Duncan 1869–1870[18]
4 James Jameson 1870–1871[19]
5 Henry Sawtell 1871–1872
6 Edward Bishop 1872–1873
7 Michael Hart 1873–1874
8 Fred Hobbs 1875–1876
9 James Gapes 1876–1877
10 Henry Thomson 1877–1878
11 Charles Thomas Ick 1878–1880
(9) James Gapes 1880–1881
12 George Ruddenklau 1881–1883
13 Charles Hulbert 1883–1885
14 Aaron Ayers 1885–1887[20]
15 Charles Louisson 1887–1889[21]
16 Samuel Manning 1889–1890
17 Charles Gray 1890–1891
18 William Prudhoe 1891–1892
19 Eden George 1892–1893
20 Thomas Gapes 1893–1894
21 Walter Cooper 1894–1895
22 Harry Beswick 1895–1896
(21) Walter Cooper 1896–1897[22]
(15) Charles Louisson 1897–1899[23]
23 William Reece 1899–1901
24 Arthur Rhodes 1901–1902
25 Henry Wigram 1902–1904
(17) Charles Gray 1904–1905
26 John Hall 1906–1907
27 George Payling 1907–1908
28 Charles Allison 1908–1911
29 Tommy Taylor 1911†
30 John Joseph Dougall 1911–1912
31 Henry Holland 1912–1919
32 Henry Thacker 1919–1923
33 James Flesher 1923–1925
34 Rev John Archer 1925–1931
35 Dan Sullivan 1931–1936
36 John Beanland 1936–1938
37 Robert Macfarlane 1938–1941
38 Ernest Andrews 1941–1950
(37) Robert Macfarlane 1950–1958
39 George Manning 1958–1968
40 Ron Guthrey 1968–1971
41 Neville Pickering 1971–1974
42 Hamish Hay 1974–1989[24]
43 Vicki Buck 1989–1998
44 Garry Moore 1998–2007
45 Bob Parker 2007–2013
46 Lianne Dalziel 2013–2022
47 Phil Mauger 2022–present

List of deputy-mayors of Christchurch

The position of deputy mayor was established in 1917.[1] In the first meeting of the newly elected council on 7 May 1917, Alfred Williams[25] was the first city councillor to be elected to the position.[26] Five deputy-mayors were later elected as mayors: John Beanland, James Flesher, Dan Sullivan, Ernest Andrews, and George Manning. Four deputy-mayors were mayors before they served as deputies: Henry Thacker, John Archer, Robert Macfarlane, and Vicki Buck.[1] Since October 2022, the current deputy mayor is Pauline Cotter, who is representing the Innes ward.[27]

Mayor Term (mayor) Deputy-mayor Term (deputy)
31 Henry Holland 1912–1919 1 Alfred Williams[1] 1917–1919
32 Henry Thacker 1919–1923 2 John Beanland[1] 1919–1921
3 James Flesher[1] 1921–1923
33 James Flesher 1923–1925 4 Arnaud McKellar[1][28] 1923–1925
34 Rev John Archer 1925–1931 5 Charles Phipp Agar[1][28] 1925–1927
6 Dan Sullivan[1] 1927–1929
7 Henry Thacker[1] 1929–1931
35 Dan Sullivan 1931–1936 8 Rev John Archer[1] 1931–1935
John Beanland, 2nd time[1] 1935–1936
36 John Beanland 1936–1938 9 Ernest Andrews[1] 1936–1938
37 Robert Macfarlane 1938–1941 10 John Septimus "Jack" Barnett[1][29] 1938–1941
38 Ernest Andrews 1941–1950 11 Melville Lyons[1] 1941–1947
12 James (Jim) Neil Clarke[1][30][31] 1947–1950
Robert Macfarlane, 2nd time 1950–1958 13 George Manning[1] 1950–1958
39 George Manning 1958–1968 14 Leslie George Amos[1][32] 1958–1959
15 Harold Smith[1][33] 1959–1971
40 Ron Guthrey 1968–1971
41 Neville Pickering 1971–1974 16 Robert Macfarlane[1] 1971–1974
42 Hamish Hay 1974–1989 17 Peter Skellerup[1][34] 1974–1980
18 Rex Lester[1][35] 1980–1983
19 Maurice Carter[1][36] 1983–1989
43 Vicki Buck 1989–1998 20 Morgan Fahey[1] 1989–1998
44 Garry Moore 1998–2007 21 Lesley Keast[1] 1998–2004
22 Carole Evans[1] 2005–2007
45 Bob Parker 2007–2013 23 Norm Withers[37] 2008–2010
24 Ngaire Button[38] 2011–2013
46 Lianne Dalziel 2013–2022 25 Vicki Buck 2013–2016
26 Andrew Turner 2016–2022
47 Phil Mauger 2022–present 27 Pauline Cotter 2022–present

Notes
  1. "Chairmen and mayors". Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  2. "Ex Mayors". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand (Canterbury Provincial District). Christchurch: Cyclopedia Company Limited. 1903. Retrieved 16 March 2010.
  3. "Christchurch City Council". The Press. Vol. XV, no. 1993. 4 September 1869. p. 1. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  4. "Christchurch". The Star. No. 24. 10 June 1868. p. 2. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
  5. Grigg, A. R. "Taylor, Thomas Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  6. "Municipal Corporations Acts Amendment Act 1875". University of Auckland. 21 October 1875. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  7. "Election Notices". The Press. Vol. XXIV, no. 3201. 3 December 1875. p. 1. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  8. "Christchurch". The Press. Vol. XXIV, no. 3214. 18 December 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  9. "To the Electors of the City of Christchurch". The Star. No. 2713. 8 December 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  10. "Christchurch City Council". The Press. Vol. XXVI, no. 3516. 12 December 1876. p. 4. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  11. "Christchurch". The Star. No. 2724. 21 December 1876. p. 2. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  12. "City Council". The Press. Vol. XXVII, no. 3584. 3 January 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  13. "City Council". The Press. Vol. LXVII, no. 14110. 1 August 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  14. "Amendment Act". Wairarapa Daily Times. Vol. LXV, no. 11744. 6 August 1913. p. 6. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  15. "Municipal Corporations Amendment Act 1913 (4 GEO V 1913 No 62)". Parliamentary Counsel Office. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  16. "Municipal Corporations Act 1933 (24 GEO V 1933 No 30)". Parliamentary Counsel Office. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  17. "Election of Mayors". The Star. No. 186. 16 December 1868. p. 3. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
  18. "Local and General". The Star. No. 493. 15 December 1869. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  19. "Local and General". The Star. No. 803. 21 December 1870. p. 2. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  20. "Mayoral Installations". The Star. No. 6115. 21 December 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  21. "Latest Locals". The Star. No. 6731. 20 December 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  22. "Mayoral Installations". The Star. No. 6053. 15 December 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  23. "Mayoral Installation". The Star. No. 6673. 20 December 1899. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
  24. "Former Christchurch mayor dies". The New Zealand Herald. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  25. "Election Notices". The Press. Vol. LXV, no. 13410. 30 April 1909. p. 11. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  26. "City Council". The Press. Vol. LIII, no. 15895. 8 May 1917. p. 2. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  27. Allott, Amber (25 October 2022). "Pauline Cotter appointed deputy mayor at first meeting for new Christchurch council". The Press. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  28. "Election Notices". The Press. Vol. LV, no. 16506. 25 April 1919. p. 10. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  29. "Mr. J. S. Barnett". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXXIX, no. 138. 13 June 1945. p. 8. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  30. "Sportsman Jim". New Zealand Truth. No. 1206. 10 January 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  31. "More Candidates". Evening Post. Vol. CXXXVI, no. 31. 5 August 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  32. Harper, Margaret (4 October 2013). "Christchurch Street Names A" (PDF). Christchurch City Libraries. p. 38. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  33. Hay 1989, p. 49.
  34. Hay 1989, p. 62.
  35. Hay 1989, p. 92.
  36. Crean, Mike (10 May 2011). "Maurice Carter leaves behind immense legacy". The Press. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  37. "Withers elected as Parker's deputy". The Press. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  38. "Ngaire Button". Local Government Online Limited. Retrieved 24 October 2013.

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mayors of Christchurch.
  • Hay, Hamish (1989). Hay Days. Christchurch: Caxton Press. ISBN 0908563310.
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